Tension holder



p 4 J. F. FAUNER 2,328,793 TENSION HOLDER Filed Aug. 15, 1942 JNVENTOR. JOSEPH EFhU/VER 4TTO/PNEY Patented Sept. 7, 1943 Jtsph'F, Fauner, n ingt aln; J. V i Application AugustlS, 1942, Serial No. 455,005

' 1 1 1 6 oiulii (01. 211-9120) This invention relates totension or snap -h'old ers in general, and particularly to tension holders known as fingers, and finding employment in connection with flag bags for flags and pennants used on board of shipv for signaling and other Y purposes. 7

Snap holders or fingers for fiag'bags-are well known, and they are designed for tensionally retaining rings and hooks, .bymeans of which the cords, from which flags or pennants'are suspended, are joined with one another; Usually one or two batteries of such fingers are employed with one of such flag bags, which latter comprises a box-like structure in which flags'and pennants are stored, and from which they are to a be rapidly hoisted in thedesired orderwhen signals are to be given. 3 One of the major requirements of such fingers is to facilitate the ready insertion and accommodation of flag rings and'fiag hooks, as they are rapidly handled by the signal crew, and to hold them in place under suflicient tension to prevent their accidental disengagement. V fingers must also permit an instant removal'ojf such rings and hooks when desired. The outer structure of the fingers is preferably so designed as to prevent as much as possible any damage to the flags and pennants, in the event the latter come in touch with the fingers. In order to meet this last requirement the presently used 'flag bag fingers are hand-made by welding or brazing, and their corners are hand-rounded. Consequently their cost is very. high. Moreover, their bodies are closed and permit the accumulation of water and ice, whereby their usefulness becomes very much impaired.

The present invention represents a marked improvement over such old type devices, one of the features of the instant development being the prevention of an accumulation of water or ice within the finger structure. Another advantage resides in the simplicity and effectiveness of my ring and hookholding instrumentalities, which The' The prime object of this invention'therefore is to provide a finger construction which is simple,

inexpensive and yet most efiective, and wherein its parts are maintained-in their intended working-condition for an indefinite period of time.

The foregoing and still further objects of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the ensuing description in connection with the accompanying drawing, which latterillustrate the presentlypreferred form of my device, andwherein:

"Fig. 1 denotes a top portion of a'fiag'ba tion reducing tension means used in my fingers} Referring now specifically to Fig. 1, numeral [0 denotes the upright of a framework forming a part of a flag box'or flag bag, and from which upright extends at an incline a portion of a top frame l2, supporting sides l3 of theflag bag. Secured between end members l2 and attached to positively but yieldingly engage the rings and hooks when the latter are in ltheir stored or locked position. The device also permits a ready removal of such rings and hooks since its holding instrumentalities are designed to reduce friction to a minimum. At the same time the construc, tion of these instrumentalities is such'asfto, prevent their deformation and fatigue in their ten-' sional function, although they are frequently subjected to severe strains causedby the rapid rings'and hooks insertion and removal ofthe normally held in the fingers;

uprights I 0 within the fiag bag is a supporting plate l4, provided with a name plate l5, upon which are marked letters, numbers and insignias of the difierent flags and pennants contained Supporting plate I4 is conveniently bent to provide an inclined portion IE, to which is secured a battery of fingers H, which are uniformly spacedfrom one another see Fig. 2), and which are so placed in'respectto name plate 15 that their sp aces' are below the respective insignias' marked on: the name plate, and indicating the flags and pennants supported from the ringsand hooks placed between each two adjacent fingers. Plate'ld is conveniently looped at l8 so that the cords to which rings l9 and'hooks 2ll are secured will remain inunt'angled position forready use.

Referring to Figs. 3 to of, the structure of the fingers will be clearly understood from these illustrations. Each of the fingers comprises a hollow casing, which is open at its bottom and whichis divided by a partition 2| into inner outer compartmentszz and 23, respectively. In

ner compartment 22 is closed by an end wall 24, which is spaced from bent portion I6 of plate 14, by' means of a ledge 25 provided .at the top end cross sectioni 36 and 31.

of the casing and side Wall extensions 26. Outer compartment 23 is closed by end wall 21. (See Figs. 3 and 4.)

Each of the compartments is provided with a pair of slots extending from the top of the structure to near the bottom edge thereof, and are disposed directly opposite each other as clearly seen in Fig. 2. Slots 29 of inner compartment 22 are tapered and are wider than slots 28 of the outer compartment, which latter slots have parallel sides. i

Attention is now called to the side wall construction of the two compartments shown in Figs It Will be observed that the wall thicknesses of the two compartments differ. rite walls of both compartments are tapered, but the l tapers 3| of the interior wall surfaces in'the in; ner compartment 22 are inclined lesssteeply than i. tapers 30 of the inner wall faces in the outer com- The purpose for this difference in 5 and 6.

partment' 23. the incline willjpresently become evident; Extending through aligned, apertures providedin'the lower portions ofjouterend wan-.21, parti-" tionil ,jand inner end waliM of the finger is an attaching zelement, 52 in the form-of allongflat headiscrew, the threaded end, of which passes through plateyporti'on i5 ofvplate- Hand" isse cur-ed thenetoiby a nut, a-washer and a lockwashen'aswclearly indicated in Figs. 3 and 4; An'-, other securingelement in the iormpi bolt 33 cm: gages a threaded aperture provided in ledge 2-5; By these two attaching elements the fingers, are securely held in their required position.

hooks, the loops of which are tapered and broader at the top, and which tapered slots are further away fromthe operator than the narrower ring slots. I I

Attention is called to the fact that all corners of the finger casings are carefully rounded so as to avoid any'sharp edgeswhich maytear or otherwise damage the flags and the pennants,

when the latter are either removed from or re- I placed into the flag bags.

While only one specific structure of my device is illustrated, containing but twocompartmenta itis'obvious that fingers with a greater number of compartments, or with only one compartment maybe made, and that other'changes and im-' provements may be incorporated therein, as may Within pockets crz compartments 22-5 and 23, v

andysupported' by screw 32, are springs 35, shown in detail in Fig. 7. These springs are composed of two coils 35, adapted to he slippedoverbolt 32,;and from which coils extend U-shaped legs Leg .156 is continuous,-;whiie leg 31 represents the ends of the spring,- ;The parallel portions oi. the U-shaped. ends are-provideclwith rollers. 3 8i, which are adapted to minimize friction and alsoserve for-joining the ends of the springlegs? In censequence of-the difierence in the wall tapers oi the two compartments, spring devices 34 will assume different positions, depending upon into which-of the cempartinentsthey are placed. Thus aspiring. mounted in inner compartment 22 will ghaveits parallel, roller-equipped portions of legs, 3-8 andSl'; at their normal position, nearer to each other than those of. a similar spring mountedin outer compartment 23, as is-clearly indicated in Figs. 5 and 6, respectively. The'purpose of. this difierence in the leg positions of the two springs is'to assure the correct engagement and accommodation of the rings-and the hooks in their'respeotive slots. 7 Rings l9 are-largerindiameterthan the loops: of hooksv 20; Both have to readily slip into and out of the fingers with thegsame-ease; and both have to he -he'ldwithin the fingers with the same security -against-accidental g-disengagement By providing a greater movement of the springs in the ring compartments, and a shorter spring movement in the hook compartments, which movements are limited by the difference in the Wall thicknesses of the two compartments, the aforesaid requirements areefiectively met. It has been mentioned that the hook-receiving slots 28 of the inner compartment" are tapered, whereas-ring-receiving slots Zilofthe outer, com

partment are narro-wer and have parallel sides The reason for tapering of. the inner slots is to fa.-. init t th ea irie s qn d a ee a of t e;

become necessary in'the course of manufacture ,of the device; I therefore reserve for myself the rightto' make such changes and improvements, without departing from the broad scope of my invention, as defined in the annexed claims:

Ic'laim; 7 s .v 'l..;;ln= a tension holder for ,rings, hookspaml the-lilre, a--hollow structure having at least-two. compartments open, attire bottom, each com-v partment having, inwardly tapering side ;wa11s; and a pairofoppositely disposed slots in the WB,BS;',WhI lflh slots are closed at, their bottom an' attaching member passing through the 001117,

partments, and resilient mes/resin each com-part1 merit-supported Joy the attaching member forthe engagement of such rings, hooks andthe like,

and adapted to normally bear aga-i-nst'the taper-- ling walls of the respective compartments;

.- 2. Ina tension-holder, as set forth in claim 1,-

theinclinemi the tapered walls of one com-' partment being greater than that of the wails'ofj the other. compartment, the sidesef the slots in the compartment having thic clined. 1 V v v Y I ,3. In afinger battery for flag bags, a plurality of uniformly spaced fingers arranged ina row;

V ment 'for the finger passing, through the end Walls of and the partition .hetween the compartments, a resilientmember, designed to bear against the upper portions of both taperedwalls iii-each compartment and being supported by said attaching element. ,1 Ina finger structure, a hollow downwardly openingjcasing divided into at leas-tq-t wov com partments, each beingfprovided with oppositely! j disposed pairs of slots at theirside Walls, at-least one attaching element passing longitudinally through the casing, another attaching elementi adapted tolengage one end wallof thecasing, coil,

springssupported in each compartment-by the f rst mentioned attaching lement, said springs 1 having 'endllegs provided with friction-reducing; means hearing against the upper portions o f the} side w alls of each compartment in rear of their sleta,.thelinteriorwallsrufaces of-the con'ipa tr merit-being thicker on :top and tapering down-.5

wardly,.the tapers of the walls of two adjapent;

ker walls be-ing incompartments diffiering in their incline, thereby defining th normal position of the respective friction-reducing means in each compartment.

5. The combination of at least two relatively closely adjacent finger structures extending at right angles from their supportand serving for the reception of rings, hooks or the like, each structure comprising a hollow, downwardly opening casing, each casing having at least two adjacent compartments, each compartment being provided with means for accommodating rings hooks or the like, th ring and hook accommodating means ofthe-one casing facing those of the adjacent casing, tension means in cooperation with said accommodating means and adapted to forcibly engage and removably hold such rings, hooks or the like, friction-reducing means provided with said tension means, and a casing attaching element supporting said tension means.

6. In a finger structure, a hollow, downwardly opening casing comprising at least two compartments having side walls, the latter having oppo- JOSEPH F. FAUNER. 

